Handling of multimedia call sessions and attachments using multi-network simulcasting

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus supporting the handling of multimedia information using simulcasting using a broadband access gateway are disclosed. A broadband access gateway supporting both a personal area network and a broadband network may receive multimedia information during exchanges between access devices over a wireless wide area network. The wireless wide area network may intercept multimedia information, and may, for example, determine that the access device of the recipient is incompatible with the multimedia information. The wide area network may then redirect the multimedia information to a broadband access gateway that may cause the storage of the received multimedia information. In another representative embodiment of the present invention, the wide area network may adapt intercepted multimedia information to be compatible with the access device of the recipient, and may also redirect the original intercepted multimedia information to a broadband access gateway. The broadband access gateway may then cause the original intercepted multimedia information to be stored for later access. A recipient of the multimedia attachment or information may be notified of the redirection of the multimedia attachment or information, and may retrieve the stored multimedia information using a wired or wireless access device.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/094,045, entitled “Handling of Multimedia Call Sessions andAttachments Using Multi-Network Simulcasting,” filed Mar. 30, 2005, nowU.S. Pat. No. 7,684,374, which is hereby incorporated by reference inits entirety, and which, in, turn, makes reference to, claims priorityto, and claims the benefit of the following United States ProvisionalPatent Applications, the complete subject matter of each of which ishereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.

Date Serial No. Title Filed 60/591,735 Method and System for HandoffJul. 28, 2004 Through Simulcasting 60/591,847 Method and System forHandling Calls Jul. 28, 2004 Through Simulcasting 60/591,844 Method andSystem for Handling Jul. 28, 2004 Multimedia Information ThroughSimulcasting 60/591,841 Method and System for Simulcasting or Jul. 28,2004 Multicasting Multimedia Information in a Broadband Wired and/orWireless LAN or Personal Area Network (PAN) Via a Broadband AccessGateway 60/591,845 Method and System for Consuming Jul. 28, 2004Simulcasted and Multicasted Content in a PAN/WAN/WLAN Serviced by aBroadband Access Gateway 60/591,843 Method and System for Handoff of aJul. 28, 2004 Multimedia Stream by Sniffing 60/591,842 Method and Systemfor Sniffing to Jul. 28, 2004 Provide Association with a New Network

The present application also makes reference to U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/021,294, entitled “Method And System For Extended NetworkAccess Services Advertising Via A Broadband Access Gateway”, filed Dec.23, 2004, the complete subject matter of which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference, in its entirety.

The present application also makes reference to U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/095,842, entitled “Registering Access Device MultimediaContent Via a Broadband Access Gateway”, filed Mar. 30, 2005, thecomplete subject matter of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference, in its entirety.

The present application also makes reference to U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/095,638, entitled “Distributed Storage And Aggregation OfMultimedia Information Via a Broadband Access Gateway”, filed Mar. 30,2005 the complete subject matter of which is hereby incorporated hereinby reference, in its entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One major common problem faced by cellular and landline serviceproviders is market competition. In today's climate of competitivemarkets, cellular service providers have found that one way for them togrow market share and defend their businesses is to be proactive andform alliances, and to partner with landline service providers. Inaddition, cellular service providers seek to differentiate their serviceofferings, and to capture the largest portion of market revenue bymeeting an ever increasing demand for access to a wide range of mediafocus such as MP3 encoded audio, still and video imaging, data, instantmessaging, and email. In a similar manner, the landline serviceproviders have found that to grow market share and ward off competition,they too must be proactive and form alliances, and to partner withcellular service providers. Support for broad economical access to theseconverging forms of communication is needed to enable unfettered marketgrowth, and to support the development and use of new handheld devicesneeded to provide increasing levels of mobile multimedia communicationfunctionality.

Although the formation of alliances and partnerships between cellularservice providers and landline service providers may help to ward offcompetition, such alliances and partnerships are faced with otherproblems. For example, the erection of cellular infrastructure such ascellular towers may be an expensive venture since this may requireacquisition of real estate, whether in the form of outright purchases orthrough leasing. Cellular infrastructure also requires the establishmentof one or more expensive backbone links to handle core network traffic.Another cellular-related problem is that the cellular signals do notpenetrate and propagate in buildings such as homes and offices verywell. This is especially true with the frequencies that are typicallyutilized in the United States, which may vary between 800 MHz and 1900MHz or 1.9 GHz.

A user of a wired or wireless device may send multimedia information tothe wireless mobile device of another party, assuming that the otherparty has the ability to make use of such information. The other partymay find that their mobile device is incompatible with the multimediainformation sent to them, or may be unwilling to pay for the costs ofwireless delivery to their mobile device. Although the multimediainformation may be important to the recipient, a user of a wirelessmobile device typically has limited means to save multimedia attachmentsand information.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention asset forth in the remainder of the present application with reference tothe drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and method handling multimedia information throughmulti-network simulcasting, substantially as shown in and/or describedin connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth morecompletely in the claims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentinvention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, willbe more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an architecture of an exemplarycommunications system in which a representative embodiment of thepresent invention may be practiced.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating an exemplary communicationsystem that may be utilized for handling multimedia information throughsimulcasting, in accordance with a representative embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a display showing an exemplary routing prompt screenthat may be displayed by an access device that may correspond, forexample, to one of the mobile access devices of FIG. 2, in accordancewith a representative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary multimedia service user profile screenthat may be used to define the handling of multimedia information and/orattachments in a communication system such as the communication systemof FIG. 2 in accordance with a representative embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a display showing a pop-up message that may bepresented to a user of an access device that may correspond, forexample, to one of the mobile access devices of FIG. 2, followingautomatic storage of a received multimedia attachment, in accordancewith a representative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a display showing a saved multimedia informationscreen that may be presented to a user of an access device that maycorrespond, for example, to one of the mobile access devices of FIG. 2,listing various stored multimedia attachments and/or information thatare available, in accordance with a representative embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 is a message exchange diagram illustrating an exemplary exchangeof messaging during a user call via a wide area network such as, forexample, the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network, involving the storage of multimediainformation via a broadband access gateway, in accordance with arepresentative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a message exchange diagram illustrating an exemplary exchangeof messaging during a user call via a wide area network such as, forexample, the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network, involving the simulcasting ofmultimedia information to a broadband access gateway, in accordance witha representative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an exemplary method supporting handling ofcalls through simulcasting of multimedia information, in accordance witha representative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of another exemplary method supporting handlingof calls through simulcasting of multimedia information, in accordancewith a representative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to communicationover a hybrid wired and wireless networks. More specifically, certainembodiments of the present invention relate to a method and system forhandling multimedia information through simulcasting of wireless networktraffic for an active subscriber from a wireless service providerservicing the active subscriber to a broadband wired and/or a wirelessLAN, and/or PAN using a broadband access gateway.

An aspect of the present invention provides seamless merging of widearea networks (WANs), from any kind of wired and/or wireless wide areanetworks, to pockets of wired and/or wireless local area networks (LANs)and personal area network (PANs), which may be located in homes or otherenvironment such as an office or business. The merging of these varioustypes of networks enables transparent communication of all types ofmedia between access devices, which may be wired or wirelessly coupledto one or more of these networks. Seamless communication may be providedto access devices as they transition from one type of network to anothertype of network.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an architecture of an exemplarycommunications system in which a representative embodiment of thepresent invention may be practiced. Referring to FIG. 1, there is showna first location 102, a second location 104, a broadband access provider(BAP) 106, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, a transportnetwork 110, wireless service provider networks including a CDMA network112 and a GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114, and access devices 122, 124, 126,and 128. The first location 102 comprises a gateway 118 having a modem116, a wireless interface(s) block 120, and the access devices 122, 124.The access devices 122, 124, 126, 128 may comprise, for example, amobile multimedia handset having a high level of functionality such as,for example, that of one or more of a digital video or still camera, aportable audio (MP3) player, a personal digital assistant, and a voicehandset. The access devices 122, 124, 126, 128 may be capable ofoperating using, for example, a personal area network and/or wirelesslocal area network compliant with, for example, Bluetooth, IEEE802.11a/b/g/n, and/or IEEE 802.15.3a ultra-wideband standards. Thesecond location 104 comprises a router 130 having a modem 132, and aplurality of wireless access devices. The plurality of wireless accessdevices at the second location 104 may comprise a personal computer (PC)138, a laptop 136 and a wireless personal digital assistant (PDA) 134. Aperipheral such as a digital camera 142 may be coupled to the personalcomputer 138. Other peripherals such as printers, digital scanners,speakers, and the like, which are not shown, may also be coupled to thepersonal computer 138 and/or laptop 136. The wireless interface block120 may comprise a plurality of interfaces such as a Bluetoothinterface, an IEEE 802.15.3a ultra-wideband interface, and anycombination of an IEEE 802.11a, b, g and/or n interface.

FIG. 1 also comprises an “other broadband access provider” block 144, an“other cellular/PCS service provider” block 146, a central control andmanagement block 148, and content provider 150. The “other broadbandaccess provider block 144” may be, for example, a cable, DSL, or othertype of broadband access provider. The central control and managementblock 148 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry and/or code that may beadapted to handle content delivery and security functions such asauthentication, validation, key or certificate management, andauthorization. The central control and management block 148 may also beadapted to handle provisioning, service management, and accounting. In arepresentative embodiment of the present invention, the central controland management block 148 may establish communications links with, forexample, the gateway 118, the broadband access provider 106, the otherbroadband access provider 144, the other cellular/PCS service provider146, the CDMA network 112, and the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114 usingactual or virtual connections.

The broadband access provider 106 may be, for example, a cable operator,telephone company, or satellite operator providing Internet access alongwith other communication services. In instances where BAP 106 is atelephone company, broadband service to locations 102, 104 may beprovided via DSL or other broadband access technology. Accordingly, themodems 116, 132 may be DSL modems. In instances where BAP 106 is a cableoperator, broadband service to locations 102, 104 may be provided viacable. Accordingly, the modems 116, 132 may be DOCSIS compliant or othertype of cable modem. Given the rapid decrease in the cost of leasedtelephone lines over the past decade or more, the connection to thelocation 102, 104 may also be T1 or T3 connections. For example, aswitch located at a central office (CO) (not shown) may be utilized tocouple a T1 or T3 connection between the second location 104 and thePSTN 108.

The gateway 118 may comprise an integrated DSL modem, cable modem orother high-speed modem that may be required for handling a connectionsuch as a T1 or T3 connection. Alternatively, the gateway 118 may becoupled to an external DSL modem, cable modem or other high-speed modemthat may be capable of handling connections such as a T1 or a T3connection. The gateway 118 may be adapted so that it has access toprotocol stack information that may be related to the GSM and/or CDMAnetworks 114, 112, respectively. The gateway 118 may also be adapted toprovide protocol support for communication with “other cellular/PCSservice provider” block 146.

Each of the CDMA and GSM/EDGE/GPRS networks 112, 114 may comprise aplurality of cell sites (a/k/a cellular towers) that are located ingeographical cells within each of the networks. Within the GSM/EDGE/GPRSnetwork 114, each of the cell sites such as, for example, cell site 114a may comprise a base transceiver station (BTS), and one or more basetransceiver stations (BTSs) may be coupled to wireless carrier centraloffice 114 b. The wireless carrier central office 114 b may comprise abase station controller/radio network controller (BSC/RNC) such asBSC/RNC 114 d. One or more base station controllers/radio networkcontrollers (BSCs/RNCs) may be coupled to the core network 114 e, thatcomprises a network edge switch called a mobile switching center (MSC),such as MSC 114 g, and a serving GPRS support node (SGSN)/packet dataserving node (PDSN) 114 f, of the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114. The mobileswitching center may be coupled to, for example, the PSTN 108 via thetransport network 110. As an access device moves out of range of a firstcell site to within range of a second cell site, the decrease signalpower received from the first cell site and the increase in signal powerreceived from the second cell site causes initiation of handoff of acall from the first cell site to the second cell site. In cases wherethere is no second cell site to handoff to, the call may be maintainedby the first cell site power until it is attenuated to a threshold whereit is no longer feasible to maintain the call. At the point where thepower reaches or falls below this threshold, the call may drop and anyrelated call resources may be relinquished. In a home and/or officeenvironment, it may be desirable to have a second network to which thecall may be handed off to.

As an illustration, a user may be on their way home and as the userapproaches their home, the signal may fall below a minimum signal powerthreshold that is required to maintain a call. However, instead ofdropping the call, the call may be handed off to, for example, a PAN ora wireless local area network (WLAN) that may be located within theuser's home or an unlicensed wireless access system that may be locatedin the user's home. For example, with reference to FIG. 1, as accessdevice 126 migrates from the vicinity of the serving cell site 114 a inGSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114 towards the wireless interface 120 in thefirst location 102, the call may be handed off from the cell site 114 aof the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114 to the wireless interface 120 coupledto the gateway (GW) 118 at the first location 102. Accordingly, insteadof the call being dropped, the call has been seamlessly handed off andis now being handled by the gateway 118 via the wireless interface 120.The resulting wireless data may then be communicated to theGSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114 via the broadband connection to the BAP 106which is connected to the broadband wireless local area networkcontroller (BWC) 114 c.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, voice and datatraffic related to an existing active wireless call or connection for asubscriber may be routed from a serving wireless service provider suchas, for example, the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114 to a broadband wiredand/or a wireless WAN, LAN, and/or PAN using a broadband access gatewaysuch as, for example, the gateway 118, so as to provide seamlesshandoff. The broadband wired and/or a wireless LAN (WLAN), and/or PANusing the broadband access gateway may be located in a home, forexample. Simulcasting is the simultaneous broadcasting of the sameinformation over two different communication paths or channels.Accordingly, in a representative embodiment of the present invention,voice and data related traffic may be simulcasted to an access deviceand to the home broadband access gateway upon initiation of a call, inaddition to receipt of a call from a calling party. In the former casewhere a calling party places a call to a called party, related voice anddata for the called party and/or the calling party may be communicatedto the broadband access gateway 118. When the calling party is at home,the calling party may use their access device or some other accessdevice that is now serviced by the broadband access gateway 118 forfurther communication.

With reference to FIG. 1, the access device 126 that may be, forexample, a mobile multimedia handset, may initiate a call destined forthe access device 128 that may also be, for example, a mobile multimediahandset. Once the call is setup and established, the mobile accessdevice 126 may be serviced by a cell site such as, for example, the cellsite 114 a located in the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114, while mobile accessdevice 128 may be serviced by a cell site such as, for example, the cellsite 112 a located in the CDMA network 112. While communication isactive between the mobile access devices 126 and 128, the mobile accessdevice 128 may send a multimedia attachment such as, for example, anMPEG video clip to the mobile access device 126. The user of the mobileaccess device 126 may accept the multimedia attachment for immediateviewing, or may re-route the multimedia attachment to the broadbandaccess gateway 118 for storage, subsequent retrieval and playback.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, communicationscomprising multimedia attachments such as, for example, an MPEG videoclip may be intercepted by the wireless carrier central office 114 b androuted based on, for example, a default routing criteria or a predefinedrouting criteria that may be specified in, for example, a user profile.With regard to a default routing criteria, multimedia attachments thatare, for example, less than a specified size may be sent to the mobileaccess device 126. However, multimedia attachments that are greater thanor equal to the specified size may be routed, by the wireless carriercentral office 114 b, to the broadband access gateway 118, where it maybe stored for subsequent retrieval. The default routing may be changedat anytime by an authorized user of an access device such as, forexample, the mobile access device 126. Other routing criteria may beused including, for example, cost, delay, amount or size of theinformation exchanged, and type of the multimedia information.

A user profile comprising routing information and other user preferencesinformation may also be utilized to route the multimedia informationtransferred during a communication session. Upon identifying amultimedia communication session or a communication session in whichmultimedia information is be transferred, the wireless carrier centraloffice 114 b may be adapted to consult the user profile to determine howthe multimedia information is to be routed. An authorized user maychange entries in the user profile, which define how multimediainformation should be routed, at any time. Furthermore, entries in theuser profile, which define how multimedia information should be routed,may be dependent on the capabilities of the access device beingutilized. For example, although a user profile may specify that an MPEGvideo clip is to be routed to mobile access device 126, there may beinsufficient memory available on the mobile access device 126 tofacilitate immediate transfer of the MPEG video clip. Accordingly, thewireless carrier central office 114 b may decide to route the MPEG videoclip to the broadband access gateway 118, where it may be stored forsubsequent retrieval and playback. In this case where multimediainformation is rerouted, a notification may be sent to the mobile accessdevice 126 informing a user of this access device that the multimediainformation was rerouted because it was determined that there wasinsufficient memory on the mobile access device 126 to facilitateplayback thereon.

The wireless carrier central office 114 b may incorporate one or morenetwork filters that may be adapted to identify multimedia informationbeing transferred during a communication session. Once the networkfilter identifies the multimedia information that is being transferred,the multimedia information may be routed based on a default routingcriterion or routing criteria specified in a user profile.

The user profile may comprise information that defines, for example, howaudio files are to be routed, how emails are to be routed, howspreadsheets are to be routed, how still images (JPEG) are to be routed,etc., and the type of quality of service (QoS) that may be required.There may be different tiers of service that may be tied to differentQoS. For example, a first user may stipulate in their profile that JPEGfiles are to be routed in their highest resolution and as such, will bebilled for a higher tier of service. A second user may stipulate intheir profile that JPEG files should be routed in their lowestresolution and as such, will be billed for a much lower tier of service.In cases where no specific routing criterion is defined, then multimediainformation may be routed based on default routing criteria.Notwithstanding, other exemplary routing may comprise: transferring themultimedia information to both the mobile access device and to thebroadband access gateway 118, and prompting a user of the mobile accessdevice 126 to select or otherwise specify a destination for routing themultimedia information.

In another representative embodiment of the present invention,multimedia information may be routed based on specific quality ofservice (QoS). For example, multimedia information such as an MP3 audioclip may be transferred to the mobile access device 126 from the mobileaccess device 128. The MP3 audio clip delivered to the mobile accessdevice 126 may be encoded at 92 kbps. However, the MP3 audio clipdelivered to the broadband access gateway 118 may be encoded at 192Kbps, thereby providing near CD quality audio. Different tiers ofservice may dictate the maximum amount of bandwidth that may be utilizedto transfer multimedia information. In this regard, users in aparticular tier may be capped at a specified bandwidth usage, except forusers at the highest tier of service who may, for example, be allowed toutilize as much bandwidth as is available.

The wireless carrier central office 114 b may be adapted to determine atier of service for which a subscriber may have signed up and based onthis determination, the wireless carrier central office 114 b may beadapted to determine an optimal method for routing multimediainformation via the wireless path provided by a wide area network(a/k/a, wireless service provider) such as, for example, theGSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114 and via a broadband access path such as, forexample, the broadband connection supported by the modem 116 and BAP106. Since the wireless path may have, for example, about 144 kbps ofbandwidth and the broadband access path may possess, for example, about1 Mbps of bandwidth, the resulting combined bandwidth may be utilized tomore efficiently handle routing of multimedia information and/or othercommunication traffic. Accordingly, if the wireless carrier centraloffice 114 b determines that a particular mobile access devicesubscriber or user also has sufficient available bandwidth via abroadband access path, then the wireless carrier central office 114 bmay decide to route more data over the broadband access path in order toprovide a higher QoS to the subscriber or user. In instances where auser may be roaming, for example, then a much lower QoS may be providedvia the wide area network wireless path, but a much higher QoS may beprovided via the broadband access path. Based on combined bandwidthresources, the wireless carrier central office 114 b may make QoSdecisions for the routing or delivery of traffic to both the broadbandaccess gateway and the mobile access device.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating an exemplary communicationsystem 200 that may be utilized for handling multimedia informationthrough simulcasting, in accordance with a representative embodiment ofthe present invention. The exemplary communication system 200 of FIG. 2provides handoff through simulcasting for wireless network traffic, foran active subscriber, from a wireless service provider servicing theactive subscriber to a broadband wired and/or a wireless LAN, and/or PANusing a broadband access gateway. Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown afirst location 202, a broadband access provider (BAP) 206, a transportnetwork block 232, an Internet 204, a WANs, PSTN, etc networks block208, a content providers block 210, wireless wide area service providernetworks 212, 214, and a plurality of mobile access devices 222, 224,226, 228 The wireless interface 220, the gateway 218 with modem 216, BAP206, the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 214, the transport network 232, and theCDMA network 236 of FIG. 2 may correspond, for example, to the wirelessinterface 120, the gateway 118 with modem 116, the BAP 106, theGSM/EDGE/GPRS network 114, the transport network 110, and the CDMAnetwork 112, respectively, of FIG. 1. The illustration of FIG. 2 alsocomprises a central control and management block 248 that maycorrespond, for example, to the central control and management block 148of FIG. 1.

The first location 202 comprises a broadband access gateway 218 with amodem 216, and a wireless interface 220. The first location may be ahome, and the broadband access gateway 218 with the modem 216 and thewireless interface 220 may support a personal area network (PAN) and/orwireless local area network (WLAN), and may be referred to as a homenetwork 202 a. The wireless interface 220 may comprise a plurality ofinterfaces such as a Bluetooth interface, an IEEE 802.15.3aultra-wideband interface, and any combination of IEEE 802.11a, b, gand/or n interfaces. The gateway 218 shown in FIG. 2 also comprises auser profile 211 and a storage 219. In a representative embodiment ofthe present invention, the gateway 218 may comprise, for example, a settop box that may be coupled in a wireless or wired fashion to accessdevices such as, for example, a laptop computer or television, such asthe laptop 217 and the television 215 of FIG. 2. Service may be providedto the home network 202 a supported by the gateway 218 via the cablemodem 216, which is coupled to the broadband access provider 206.

The broadband access provider 206 may be, for example, a cable company,telephone company (Telco), or an Internet service provider (ISP). Thebroadband access provider 206 may utilize any of the standardizedformats such as DOCSIS, digital subscriber line (DSL), or localmultipoint distribution system (LMDS). LMDS utilizes broadband wirelesstechnology to deliver voice, video, data, and/or Internet servicesutilizing licensed or unlicensed spectrum in the frequency range of 25GHz and higher. LMDS utilizes point-to-point or point-to-multipointcommunication to provide broadband services, some of which rely on lineof sight (LOS). LMDS is a fixed wireless solution, and as such, nomobility support is required.

The broadband access provider 206 may be also be a WiMAX or Institute ofElectronic and Electrical Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) 802.16-compliantservice provider. The IEEE 802.16 standard offers a wirelessmetropolitan area network (MAN) air interface which provides networkaccess to buildings via external antennas that receive signals from aremotely located central base station. The signal received at thebuilding may be communicated to a wired network infrastructure such asan IEEE 802.3 compliant communication network or a wireless networkinfrastructure such as an IEEE 802.11a/b/g and/or n-compliant network.In instances where WiMAX is utilized, then antenna 202 b may be utilizedto receive and transmit signals between the broadband access provider206 and the home network 202 a.

The WANs, PSTN, etc networks block 208 may comprise networks such asprivate or public communication networks. For example, the WANs, PSTN,etc networks block 208 may comprise a public switched telephone network(PSTN) and a packet network such as a cellular digital packet data(CDPD) network.

The content providers block 210 may comprise network providers, whichsupply data and/or multimedia content. In a representative embodiment ofthe present invention, the content providers block 210 may comprise oneor more mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). A MVNO is a mobileservice provider that provides mobile services to its subscribers byutilizing the network infrastructure of another company. In this regard,the MVNO enters into an agreement with a network operator to purchasenetwork time such as minutes, which it resells to it owncustomers/subscribers. The MNVO utilizes the purchased time to provide,for example, multimedia content delivery to its subscribers.

The wireless service provider network 212 may, for example, utilizeCDMA, 3G or 4G access technology and may comprise a plurality of cellsites. Cell site 212 a may provide cellular service to the mobile accessdevice 228 while the mobile access device 228 is within range of thecell site 212 a. The wireless service provider network 214 may, forexample, utilize the time division multiple access (TDMA) accesstechnology of the GSM standard, and may include enhanced data rates forGSM evolution (EDGE) and/or general packet radio service (GPRS) datacapability. The wireless service provider network 214 may comprise aplurality of cell cites and a wireless carrier central office 214 b, thelatter of which comprises a mobile switching center (MSC) 214 g. Cellsite 214 a may provide cellular service to mobile access device 226while the mobile access device 226 is within range of the cell site 214a. The wireless carrier central office 214 b may also comprise a userprofile 235.

With reference to FIG. 2, the mobile access device 226, which may be amobile multimedia handset, for example, may initiate a call destined forthe mobile access device 228. The mobile access device 228 may also be,for example, a mobile multimedia handset. Once the call is setup andestablished, the mobile access device 226 may be serviced by a cell sitesuch as, for example, the cell site 214 a located in the GSM network214, while mobile access device 228 may be serviced by a cell site suchas, for example, the cell site 212 a located in the CDMA network 212.While communication is active between the mobile access devices 226 and228, the mobile access device 228 may send a multimedia attachment suchas, for example, an MPEG video clip to the mobile access device 226. Theuser of the mobile access device 226 may accept the multimediaattachment for immediate viewing, or may re-route the multimediaattachment to the broadband access gateway 218 for storage, subsequentretrieval and playback.

In accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention,communications comprising multimedia attachments such as an MPEG videoclip may be intercepted by the wireless carrier central office 214 b androuted based on, for example, a default routing criteria or a predefinedrouting criteria that may be specified in, for example, a user profile.A suitable user profile may be available at a number of locations in thecommunication system 200 of FIG. 2 including, for example, the mobileaccess device 226 as user profile 225, at the wireless carrier centraloffice 214 b as user profile 235, and at the broadband access gateway218 as user profile 211. Information from the user profile 225 of themobile access device 226 may, for example, be communicated to thebroadband access gateway 218, or to wireless carrier central office 214b, following registration of the mobile access device 226. A descriptionof a suitable registration process may be found in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/095,842, entitled “Registering Access DeviceMultimedia Content Via a Broadband Access Gateway”, filed Mar. 30, 2005,the complete subject matter of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference, in its entirety. User profile information may be provided tothe wireless carrier central office 214 b by the broadband accessgateway 218 via the BAP 106.

With regard to a default routing criteria, multimedia attachments thatare, for example, less than a specified size may be sent to the mobileaccess device 226. However, multimedia attachments that are greater thanor equal to a specified size may be routed by the wireless carriercentral office 214 b to the broadband access gateway 218, where themultimedia attachments may be stored for subsequent retrieval in storagesuch as, for example, the storage 219. Appropriate storage may beavailable at other locations within the communication system 200including, for example, the storage 213 accessible via the Internet 204.A description of a storage mechanism that may be employed by arepresentative embodiment of the present invention is described in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/095,638, entitled “Distributed StorageAnd Aggregation Of Multimedia Information Via a Broadband AccessGateway”, filed Mar. 30, 2005, the complete subject matter of which ishereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety. In arepresentative embodiment of the present invention, the default routingmay be changed at any time by an authorized user of an access devicesuch as, for example, the mobile access device 226.

A user profile such as, for example, the user profile 225 of FIG. 2 thatcomprises routing information and other user preferences information mayalso be utilized to route the multimedia information transferred duringa communication session. For example, upon identifying a multimediacommunication session or a communication session in which multimediainformation is being transferred, the wireless carrier central office214 b may be adapted to consult the user profiles 211, 225, 235 todetermine how the multimedia information is to be routed. An authorizeduser may change entries in a user profile, which define how multimediainformation should be routed, at any time. Furthermore, entries in auser profile that define how multimedia information should be routed maybe dependent on the capabilities of the access device being utilized.For example, although a user profile may specify that an MPEG video clipis to be routed to mobile access device 226, there may be insufficientmemory available on the mobile access device 226 to facilitate immediatetransfer of the MPEG video clip. Accordingly, the wireless carriercentral office 214 b may decide to route the MPEG video clip to thebroadband access gateway 218 where it may be stored for subsequentretrieval and playback on storage 219. The broadband access gateway 218may also cause the multimedia information (e.g., the MPEG video clip) tobe stored at another location accessible to the broadband access gateway218 such as, for example, the storage 213. In this case where multimediainformation is rerouted, a notification may be sent to the mobile accessdevice 226 informing a user of this access device that, for example, themultimedia information was rerouted because it was determined that therewas insufficient memory on the access device to facilitate playbackthereon.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, the wirelesscarrier central office 214 b may incorporate one or more network filtersthat may be adapted to identify multimedia information being transferredduring a communication session. Such filters may use, for example,statistical or content analysis of the multimedia information, orinformation about the communications path to determine the nature of themultimedia information. Once the network filter identifies themultimedia information that is being transferred, the multimediainformation may be routed based on a default routing criterion orrouting criteria specified in a user profile such as, for example, theuser profiles 211, 225, 235.

FIG. 3 illustrates a display 300 showing an exemplary routing promptscreen 322 that may be displayed by an access device that maycorrespond, for example, to one of the mobile access devices 222, 224,226, 228 of FIG. 2, in accordance with a representative embodiment ofthe present invention. The display 300 of FIG. 3 comprises a networkindicator 310, a network services indicator area 312, a battery lifeindicator, a time of day indicator, and a day and date indicator. Thenetwork services indicator area 312 of FIG. 3 comprises an Internetprotocol (IP) phone service icon 315, a printer service icon 316, astereo entertainment icon 317, a pay music service icon 318, a videoentertainment icon 319, and a call recording icon 320 showing thoseservices that may be advertised by a broadband access gateway such as,for example, the gateway 218 of FIG. 2, as being available to anappropriately identified or authorized user of the access device.Further information about the advertising of multimedia information andmedia-related services by a broadband access gateway may be found inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/021,294, entitled “Method And SystemFor Extended Network Access Services Advertising Via A Broadband AccessGateway”, filed Dec. 23, 2004, the complete subject matter of which ishereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, the routingprompt screen 322 of FIG. 3 may be displayed, for example, upon arrivalof a multimedia attachment at a wide area network such as, for example,the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 214. The routing prompt screen 322 comprisesreason text 330 informing the user of the access device of the arrivalof the multimedia attachment, and prompt text 332 requesting that theuser indicate whether the received multimedia attachment should beplayed, played and saved, or only saved. The routing prompt screen 322also comprises a “PLAY” button 340 to be used to select playback of themultimedia attachment, a “PLAY AND SAVE” button 342 to request that themultimedia attachment be played for the user and saved in storage, and a“SAVE ONLY” button 344 to be used to select only storage of themultimedia attachment. Although the routing prompt screen 322 refers tothe playing of the multimedia attachment, the approach illustrated inFIG. 3 may also be employed with those multimedia attachments that areviewed, used as input to software applications, etc. In addition, itshould be noted that the illustration of FIG. 3 is for purposes ofexplanation, as other forms of user interface and/or arrangements oftext, icons, etc., may be employed without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary multimedia service user profile screen422 that may be used to define the handling of multimedia informationand/or attachments in a communication system such as the communicationsystem 200 of FIG. 2 in accordance with a representative embodiment ofthe present invention. The display 400 of FIG. 4 comprises a networkindicator 410, a network services indicator area 412, a battery lifeindicator, a time of day indicator, and a day and date indicator. Thenetwork services indicator area 412 of FIG. 4 comprises an Internetprotocol (IP) phone service icon 415, a printer service icon 416, astereo entertainment icon 417, a pay music service icon 418, a videoentertainment icon 419, and a call recording icon 420 showing thoseservices that may be advertised by a broadband access gateway such as,for example, the gateway 218 of FIG. 2, as being available to anappropriately identified or authorized user of the access device. Themultimedia service user profile screen 422 also comprises a number ofoptions and entries that may be employed by a user to direct the mannerin which multimedia attachments and/or the information of multimediasessions is handled. A first check box 430 permits the user to stipulatethat all multimedia attachments are to be saved. If check box 430 isselected, all attachments addressed to the associated access device maybe stored at the location selected by the attachment destinationparameter 438, either to storage on a home gateway that may, if button440 is selected; to storage at the location defined by universalresource locator “www.ustore.com/bobs-storage”, if button 442 isselected; or to the system default storage, if button 444 is selected.

If not all multimedia attachments are to be saved and the check box 430is not selected, the user may indicate using check boxes 432, 434, 436the conditions under which attachments are to be saved. For example, ifcheck box 432 is checked, any multimedia attachments that are notcompatible with the access device may be saved. Storage of theattachment may be in accordance with the destination parameter 438,described above. In a representative embodiment of the presentinvention, a wide area network such as, for example, the GSM/EDGE/GPRSnetwork 214 may be aware of the capabilities of an access device suchas, for example, the mobile access device 226 of FIG. 2 usingidentifying information received during registration, or when enteringinto communication with a broadband access gateway, as described above.Identifying information may comprise, for example, an electronic serialnumber, a member identifier, an administrative identifier, a mediaaccess control (MAC) address, an Internet protocol (IP) address, acredit card account identifier, and may comprise a digital certificate.If check box 434 is checked, multimedia attachments of greater than apredefined size, in this case 25 kilobytes, may be redirected to storageselected by the destination parameter 438. If the check box 436 ischecked, a representative embodiment of the present invention may askthe user for storage instructions upon receipt of each attachment, suchas the example illustrated in FIG. 3, above.

FIG. 5 illustrates a display 500 showing a pop-up message 540 that maybe presented to a user of an access device that may correspond, forexample, to one of the mobile access devices 222, 224, 226, 228 of FIG.2, following automatic storage of a received multimedia attachment, inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.The display 500 of FIG. 5 comprises a network indicator 510, a networkservices indicator area 512, a battery life indicator, a time of dayindicator, and a day and date indicator. The network services indicatorarea 512 of FIG. 5 comprises an Internet protocol (IP) phone serviceicon 515, a printer service icon 516, a stereo entertainment icon 517, apay music service icon 518, a video entertainment icon 519, and a callrecording icon 520 showing those services that may be advertised by abroadband access gateway such as, for example, the broadband accessgateway 218 of FIG. 2, as being available to an appropriately identifiedor authorized user of the access device. The pop-up message 540 mayappear over other contents of the display area 522 when a multimediaattachment is received and automatically stored, as may occur when, forexample, the check box 430 of the multimedia service user profile screen422 of FIG. 4 is checked. The particular example, of FIG. 5 shows that amultimedia attachment comprising a QuickTime™ video clip is being storedat a storage resource having a universal resource locator of“www.ustore.com/bobs-storage”. Other forms of messaging to a user, andmeans of saving a multimedia attachment other than those shown in FIG. 5may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a display 600 showing a saved multimedia informationscreen 622 that may be presented to a user of an access device that maycorrespond, for example, to one of the mobile access devices 222, 224,226, 228 of FIG. 2, listing various stored multimedia attachments and/orinformation that are available, in accordance with a representativeembodiment of the present invention. The display 600 of FIG. 6 comprisesa network indicator 610, a network services indicator area 612, abattery life indicator, a time of day indicator, and a day and dateindicator. The network services indicator area 612 of FIG. 5 comprisesan Internet protocol (IP) phone service icon 615, a printer service icon616, a stereo entertainment icon 617, a pay music service icon 618, avideo entertainment icon 619, and a call recording icon 620 showingthose services that may be advertised by a broadband access gateway suchas, for example, the broadband access gateway 218 of FIG. 2, as beingavailable to an appropriately identified or authorized user of theaccess device. Although the multimedia information screen 622 displayedin FIG. 6 comprises textual information, other forms of presentationsuch as, for example, a graphical interface may be employed withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Themultimedia information screen 622 comprises a QuickTime™ movie clipentry 630 showing the date and time of receipt, the length of the storedinformation, and the source. The multimedia information screen 622 alsolists an MP3 audio clip entry 632, and a JPEG still image entry 634showing the date and time of receipt, the size of the stored image inkilobytes, and the source. A user of the access device reviewing thesaved multimedia information screen 622 may press keys 1, 2, or 3, toplay the corresponding multimedia item, or may exit the saved multimediainformation screen 622 by clicking on the EXIT button 640. The savedmultimedia information screen 622 may be displayed on an access devicesuch as the mobile access device 226 of FIG. 2. Information such as thatdisplayed in FIG. 6 may also be displayable on other access devices ofthe communication system 200 of FIG. 2 including, for example, thelaptop 217 and the television 215, or the wireless PDA 134, the laptop136, or personal computer (PC) 138 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a message exchange diagram 700 illustrating an exemplaryexchange of messaging during a user call via a wide area network suchas, for example, the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 214, involving the storage ofmultimedia information via a broadband access gateway, in accordancewith a representative embodiment of the present invention. In theillustration of FIG. 7, the four vertical lines represent a wide areanetwork 702, an access device #1 704, an access device #2 706, and abroadband access gateway 708 that may correspond to, for example, theGSM/EDGE/GPRS network 214, the access devices 226, 228, and thebroadband access gateway 218, respectively, of FIG. 2. The horizontallines represent message traffic or groups of messages exchanged betweena source and a destination, the destination being indicated by the arrowhead. The vertical dimension represents time, advancing downward on themessage exchange diagram 700.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, an accessdevice #1 704 may initiate a call via the wide area network 702 usingmessaging 710 a, 710 b, 712 a, 712 b to the access device #2 706. Themessaging 710 a, 710 b, 712 a, 712 b may comprise multiple messages forestablishing a wireless call on the wide area network 702. In theillustration of FIG. 7, the wide area network 702 may activate paths 714a, 714 b to transport voice signals between the access device #1 704,the wide area network 702, and the access device #2 706. At some pointduring the call, the user of the access device #1 704 may send amultimedia attachment 716 to the access device #2 706. In arepresentative embodiment of the present invention, the wide areanetwork 702 may intercept 718 the multimedia attachment 716 inaccordance with a user profile such as, for example, the user profile235 of FIG. 2. The user profile 235 may designate that, for example, allmultimedia attachments, or multimedia attachments larger than a certainsize, or requiring certain access device capabilities be stored ratherthan communicated to the destination access device. The wide areanetwork 702 may then redirect the intercepted multimedia attachment 716to the designated storage such as, for example, the broadband accessgateway 708 that may then perform a storage function 723. It should benoted that in a representative embodiment of the present invention, thebroadband access gateway 708 may, for example, correspond to thebroadband access gateway 218 of FIG. 2, and may store the multimediaattachment locally on the broadband access gateway 708, or may cause itto be stored at another location, depending upon the information in theuser profile 235. At some later point in time, the user of access device#1 704 may choose to end the call, and may cause message 724 a to besent to the wide area network 702. The wide area network 702 may sendmessage 724 b to the access device #2 706, that may acknowledge withmessage 726 b. The wide area network 702 may then acknowledge therequest to end the call by replying to access device #1 with messaging726 a, ending the call. Although the illustration of FIG. 7 shows theaccess device #1 704 originating and ending the call, a similar callscenario in accordance with a representative embodiment of the presentinvention may be employed when the call is ended by the called party.

At some point after the end of the call, the user of the access device#1 704 may wish to know what multimedia items have been stored on theirbehalf by the wide area network 702, and may cause a catalog request 728to be sent to the designated location for multimedia storage asindicated in the user profile 235 such as, for example, the broadbandaccess gateway 708. Upon receiving the catalog request 728, thebroadband access gateway may activate functionality to catalog thestored multimedia information (730), and may return a listing of theavailable stored multimedia information in message 732. The user of theaccess device 704 may then select from the listed multimediainformation, and may cause a message 734 to be sent to the broadbandaccess gateway 708 to access selected multimedia information. Thebroadband access gateway 708 may then establish a communication path 738to the access device #1 704, to deliver the selected multimediainformation.

FIG. 8 is a message exchange diagram 800 illustrating an exemplaryexchange of messaging during a user call via a wide area network suchas, for example, the GSM/EDGE/GPRS network 214, involving thesimulcasting of multimedia information to a broadband access gateway, inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention. Inthe illustration of FIG. 8, the four vertical lines represent a widearea network 802, an access device #1 804, an access device #2 806, anda broadband access gateway 808 that may correspond to, for example, theGSM/EDGE/GPRS network 214, the access devices 226, 228, and thebroadband access gateway 218, respectively, of FIG. 2. The horizontallines represent message traffic or groups of messages exchanged betweena source and a destination, the destination being indicated by the arrowhead. The vertical dimension represents time, advancing downward on themessage exchange diagram 800.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, an accessdevice #1 804 may initiate a call via the wide area network 802 usingmessaging 810 a, 810 b, 812 a, 812 b to the access device #2 806. Themessaging 810 a, 810 b, 812 a, 812 b may comprise multiple messages forestablishing a wireless call on the wide area network 802. In theillustration of FIG. 8, the messaging of wide area network 802 mayactivate a path to transport multimedia information stream 814 a betweenaccess device #1 804 and access device #2 806 via the wide area network802. The multimedia information stream may comprise, for example, audioinformation encoded at 192 kilobits per second. The wide area network802 may recognize the capabilities of the destination access device #2806 using, for example, information in a user profile or identifyinginformation shared by the access device #2 806. The wide area network802 may intercept the multimedia information stream 814 a, and mayemploy functionality 823 to transcode the 192 kbps encoded audio stream814 a to a 92 kbps stream 814 b suitable for use by the destinationaccess device #2 806. In addition, the wide area network 802 may sendmessage 815 to the broadband access gateway 808 to request storage ofthe intercepted multimedia information stream 814 a (i.e., the 192 kbpsencoded audio stream). Upon receiving an acknowledgement message 816 inresponse to the request, the wide area network 802 may forward thereceived audio stream 814 encoded at 192 kbps, to the broadband accessgateway 808 as audio stream 814 c. The broadband access gateway 808 maythen cause the storage of the multimedia information (i.e., the audiostream) 814 c using storage function 823. It should be noted that in arepresentative embodiment of the present invention, the broadband accessgateway 808 may, for example, correspond to the broadband access gateway218 of FIG. 2, and may store the multimedia attachment locally instorage 219 on the broadband access gateway 218, or may cause it to bestored at another location, depending upon the information in a userprofile such as, for example, the user profile 235 of FIG. 2.

At some later point in time, the user of access device #1 804 may chooseto end the call, and may cause message 824 a to be sent to the wide areanetwork 802. The wide area network 802 may send message 824 b to theaccess device #2 806, that may acknowledge with message 826 b. The widearea network 802 may then acknowledge the request to end the call byreplying to access device #1 with messaging 826 a, ending the call.Although the illustration of FIG. 8 shows the access device #1 804originating and ending the call, a similar call scenario in accordancewith a representative embodiment of the present invention may beemployed when, for example, the call is ended by the called party, andwhen the multimedia information is sent by the called party.

At some point after the end of the call, the user of the access device#2 806 may wish to know what multimedia items have been stored on theirbehalf by the wide area network 802, and may cause a catalog request 828to be sent to the designated location for multimedia storage asindicated in the user profile 235 such as, for example, the broadbandaccess gateway 808. Upon receiving the catalog request 828, thebroadband access gateway 808 may activate functionality to catalog thestored multimedia information 830, and may return a listing of theavailable stored multimedia information in message 832. The user of theaccess device 806 may then select from the listed multimediainformation, and may cause messaging 834 to be sent to the broadbandaccess gateway 808 to access selected multimedia information. Thebroadband access gateway 808 may then establish a communication path 838to the access device #2 706, to deliver the selected multimediainformation.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart 900 of an exemplary method supporting handling ofcalls through simulcasting of multimedia information, in accordance witha representative embodiment of the present invention. The followingdiscussion makes references to the elements of FIG. 2. The method ofFIG. 9 begins with a first access device such as, for example, theaccess device 226 in an idle state (i.e., not engaged in a call) (block910). A call initiated by the first access device 226 is thenestablished via a wide area network such as, for example, theGSM/EDGE/GPRS network 214 to a second access device such as, forexample, the access device 224 (block 912). The first and second accessdevices 224, 226 may comprise any combination of, for example, a mobilemultimedia handset, a wireless personal digital assistant, a laptop, orother similar devices. During the call, the first access device may senda multimedia attachment to the second access device (block 914). Themultimedia attachment may comprise, for example, digitized voice, data,digitized video, still images, or other forms of digital multimediainformation. In a representative embodiment of the present invention,the wide area network 214 may then intercept the multimedia attachment(block 916), and may determine whether the second access device iscompatible with the multimedia attachment (block 918). If the multimediaattachment is compatible with the second access device (block 920), themultimedia attachment may be forwarded to the second access device(block 922). The method of FIG. 9 then ends (block 928). If, however,the multimedia attachment is not compatible with the second accessdevice (block 920), the wide area network 214 may redirect themultimedia attachment to a broadband access gateway associated with theuser of the second access device (block 924). Information about such anassociation may be contained within a user profile such as, for example,the user profile 325, or in subscriber information of the wide areanetwork 214. The broadband access gateway may then cause the multimediaattachment to be stored in a location designated in, for example, theuser profile (block 926). The method of FIG. 9 then ends (block 928).

FIG. 10 is a flowchart 1000 of another exemplary method supportinghandling of calls through simulcasting of multimedia information, inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.The following discussion makes references to the elements of FIG. 2. Themethod of FIG. 10 begins with a first access device such as, forexample, the access device 226 in an idle state (i.e., not engaged in acall) (block 1010). A call initiated by the first access device 226 isthen established via a wide area network such as, for example, theGSM/EDGE/GPRS network 214 to a second access device such as, forexample, the access device 224 (block 1012). The first and second accessdevices 224, 226 may comprise any combination of, for example, a mobilemultimedia handset, a wireless personal digital assistant, a laptop, orother similar devices. During the call, the first access device may sendmultimedia information to the second access device (block 1014). Themultimedia information may comprise, for example, digitized voice, data,digitized video, still images, or other forms of digital multimediainformation. In a representative embodiment of the present invention,the wide area network may then intercept the multimedia information(block 1016), and may determine whether the second access device iscompatible with the multimedia information (block 1018). Determinationmay comprise statistical analysis of the multimedia information,examination of metadata accompanying the multimedia information, orparticular of the call connection, for example.

If the multimedia information is compatible with the second accessdevice (block 1020), the intercepted multimedia information may beforwarded to the second access device (block 1022). The method of FIG.10 then ends (block 1032). If, however, the multimedia information isnot compatible with the second access device (block 1020), the wide areanetwork may perform activities shown in FIG. 10 as two parallel paths torepresent that the activities of the two paths may occur concurrently.In the left path, the wide area network may adapt the interceptedmultimedia information so as to be compatible with the second accessdevice (block 1024). Examples of such an adaptation may includetranscoding to a different bit rate, a change in image spatial or colorresolution, and the like. The wide area network may then forward theadapted multimedia information to the second access device (block 1026).The method of FIG. 10 then ends (block 1032).

In the right path of FIG. 10, the wide area network may forward theoriginal intercepted multimedia information to a broadband accessgateway associated with the second access device (block 1028). Abroadband access gateway may be associated with an access device baseupon information contained within a user profile such as, for example,the user profiles 211, 225, 235 of FIG. 2, or upon subscriberinformation maintained by a wide area network such as, for example, theGSM/EDGE/GPRS network 214 of FIG. 2. The broadband access gateway maythen cause the original intercepted multimedia information to be stored(block 1030). The method of FIG. 10 then ends.

It should be noted that although the previous discussion makes referenceto functions performed by a wireless carrier central office, othernetwork elements may perform those functions in other arrangements inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.For example, in an intelligent network (IN) environment, an applicationsprocessor (AP) or other suitable network entity may perform tasks thatare described above as being performed by the MSC of a wireless carriercentral office, without departing from the spirit or scope of thepresent invention. It should also be noted that although the previousdiscussion focuses primarily on the capabilities and actions of thebroadband access gateways 118, 218 of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, thesame capabilities and actions may also apply to the router 130 of FIG.1.

Aspects of the present invention may be found in a method of handlingmultimedia information through multi-network simulcasting. Such a methodmay comprise receiving, from a first of a plurality of access devices,multimedia information designated for a second of the plurality ofaccess devices, and determining whether the second of the plurality ofaccess devices is compatible with the multimedia information. The methodmay comprise redirecting the multimedia information via at least one ofa personal area network and a broadband network, if the second of theplurality of access devices is not compatible, and forwarding themultimedia information to the second of the plurality of access devices,if the second of the plurality of access devices is compatible. Arepresentative embodiment of the present invention may comprise causingthe storage of the redirected multimedia information, and notifying auser of the other of the plurality of access devices of the redirectionof the multimedia information. The method may comprise establishing acall between the first and second of the plurality of access devices,and adapting multimedia information to be compatible with the second ofthe plurality of access devices.

In various representative embodiments of the present invention, theplurality of access devices may comprise at least one of a mobilemultimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personalcomputer (PC), a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digitalcamera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device. At least one ofthe receiving, redirecting, and forwarding may be performed using awireless wide area network, and the wireless wide area network maycomprise at least one of a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network,a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and a Global System forMobile Communication (GSM) network. The wireless wide area network mayalso comprise at least one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)network, a short message service (SMS) network, a GSM enhanced datarates for global evolution (EDGE), a time division multiple access(TDMA) network, an integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), a codedivision multiple access (CDMA) network, and a CDMA2000 1xRTT network.The personal area network may comprise at least one of a Bluetoothnetwork, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)802.11 network, and a cellular network. In various representativeembodiments of the present invention, the broadband network may compriseat least one of a cable network, a digital subscriber loop network, a T1network, a T3 network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), aWiMAX network, and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE) 802.16 network. The multimedia information may comprise at leastone of streaming video, broadcast video, digitized voice, digital data,text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, anddigitized music.

Yet other aspects of the present invention may be observed in amachine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer programhaving a plurality of code sections executable by a machine, for causingthe machine to perform the operations of the method described above.

Additional aspects of the present invention may be seen in a systemsupporting handling multimedia information through multi-networksimulcasting. A representative embodiment of the present invention maycomprise a plurality of access devices capable of communicatingmultimedia information via a wireless wide area network communicativelycoupled to a broadband network. Such an embodiment may also comprise agateway communicatively coupled to the broadband network and at leastone wireless interface. The gateway may be capable of selectivelyexchanging multimedia information among at least one wireless interfaceand the broadband network, and of communicating with the plurality ofaccess devices via the at least one wireless interface. The wirelesswide area network may redirect multimedia information for one of theplurality of access devices based upon at least one parameter, and thegateway may be capable of causing storage of the redirected multimediainformation. The redirected multimedia information may be stored withinthe gateway. The gateway may be capable of providing a catalog of storedmultimedia information, and of adapting multimedia information to becompatible with the one of the plurality of access devices based uponthe at least one parameter.

The gateway of a representative embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention may be capable of receiving a request for storedmultimedia information from one of the plurality of access devices, andof sending the requested multimedia information to the one of theplurality of access devices. The wireless wide area network may notifythe one of the plurality of access devices of the redirection. Invarious representative embodiments of the present invention, themultimedia information may comprise at least one of streaming video,broadcast video, digitized voice, digital data, text, digitized audio,digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music. Thebroadband network may comprise at least one of a cable network, adigital subscriber loop network, a T1 network, a T3 network, a localmultipoint distribution system (LMDS), a WiMAX network, and an Instituteof Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 network. The atleast one wireless interface may comprise at least one of a Bluetoothnetwork interface, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE) 802.11 network interface, and a cellular network interface.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, the wide areanetwork may comprise at least one of a cellular digital packet data(CDPD) network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a GlobalSystem for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, and a General PacketRadio Service (GPRS) network. The wide area network may also comprise atleast one of a short message service (SMS) network, a GSM enhanced datarates for global evolution (EDGE), a time division multiple access(TDMA) network, an integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), a codedivision multiple access (CDMA) network, and a CDMA2000 1xRTT network.The plurality of access devices may comprise at least one of a mobilemultimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personalcomputer (PC), a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digitalcamera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device. The at least oneparameter may comprise at least one of a bit rate, a bandwidth, a cost,a color resolution, a spatial resolution, a multimedia information size,and a multimedia information type.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, the wirelesslocal area networks may include data networks such as, for example,Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) 802.11a/b/g/ncompliant wireless networks such as those located in homes, hot spots oran office. Such local area networks may operate in unlicensed radiofrequency spectrum such as in, for example, the 2.4 and 5 gigahertzregions. Examples of wide area networks may include cellular digitalpacket data (CDPD), voice and data networks such as public switchedtelephone networks (PSTN), Global System For Mobile Communication (GSM),GSM General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), GSM Short Message Service(SMS), GSM Enhanced Data Rates For Global Evolution (EDGE), NorthAmerican Time Division Multiplex Access (TDMA), iDEN, Code DivisionMultiple Access (CDMA) and CDMA2000 1xRT, Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS) network, to name only a few.

A personal area network (PAN) may be formed by a plurality of wirelesscommunication access devices such as, for example, mobile multimediahandsets, PDAs, telephones, and computers. Other elements of such anetwork may, for example, include computer peripherals such as digitalscanners, digital cameras, printers, headphones, and pointing devices,that may be located within the immediate proximity of a person. A PANmay be an ad-hoc network of such communication devices. In arepresentative embodiment of the present invention, access deviceswithin the PAN may communicate with other access devices within the PANand also with other access devices that are located in other networksaccessible via the PAN. The personal area networks may include datanetworks such as, for example, a Bluetooth compliant network, andInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) 802.15.3acompliant wireless networks. Such personal area networks may operate inunlicensed radio frequency spectrum such as, for example, the 2.4 and 5gigahertz regions. Details of one example of a personal area network areprovided in the document “Bluetooth Core Specification V1.2”, Nov. 5,2003, from Bluetooth SIG, Inc., the complete subject matter of which ishereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety. For example,in a Bluetooth® wireless PAN, a first Bluetooth®-enabled wireless accessdevice may communicate with a second Bluetooth®-enabled wireless accessdevice within the PAN. Additionally, either of the first and secondBluetooth®-enabled wireless access devices may communicate with theInternet or another LAN or WAN via the Bluetooth® wireless PAN.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, a gateway maybe adapted to provide seamless and transparent communication between aplurality of access devices and a plurality of networks. Thefunctionality of the gateway may be divided, for example, intoapplication content functionality, and configuration and managementfunctionality. The application content functionality may, for example,deal with the types of applications that may be supported by the gatewayas well as the various types of data that may be received, processedand/or transmitted by the gateway. In this regard, application contentfunctionality may also include the manner in which other devices and/orsystems may utilize data from the gateway.

Content and application services are considerations because all theinformation coming into and leaving the home from either the WAN side(i.e., the broadband connection side), or from the PAN side (i.e., theaccess device side) converges at the gateway. The PAN side may compriseBluetooth, wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n), IEEE 802.15.3aultra-wideband, or cellular, for example. Notwithstanding, the gatewaymay be adapted to convert, for example, wirelessly receivedGSM-formatted information into, for example, Internet protocol(IP)-formatted information and in reverse, converts IP-formattedinformation into wireless GSM-formatted information suitable forover-the-air transmission. Support for other wireless communicationprotocols such as TDMA, CDMA, and UMTS may also be provided. In arepresentative embodiment of the present invention, the gateway maycomprise suitable circuitry, logic and/or code that may be adapted toreceive and process MPEG related data, which may be suitable for displayon a screen. The gateway in an embodiment of the present inventionfunctions as a focal point where data converges from a plurality ofwired and wireless services. Although, in a particular embodiment of thepresent invention the gateway may do very little in terms of actualcontent aggregation, there is virtual aggregation of data. The convergeddata may be integrated and or otherwise utilized to offer uniqueopportunities for launching various content and application servicesfrom a single strategic location. Since the gateway in an embodiment ofthe present invention is the focal point where data converges, one ormore protocol stacks may be employed for launching the various contentand application services.

The gateway in a representative embodiment of the present invention maybe adapted to route calls based on established rules that may beprogrammed into the gateway. For example, the gateway may be governed bya rule which states that local calls are to be routed to an incumbentlocal exchange carrier (iLEC), while long distance calls are to behandled by Long Distance Carrier Company. Accordingly, when a calloriginates at the gateway and it is determined that the call is a localcall, the gateway may be adapted to route the call to the iLEC. However,if the gateway determines that the call is a long distance call, thenthe gateway may be adapted to route the call to Long Distance CarrierCompany.

A representative embodiment of the present invention may leverageexisting broadband infrastructure that is commonly found in many homesand businesses today. Because a consumer is already paying for the useof the broadband infrastructure in their home or office, leveraging theuse of the existing broadband infrastructure for communication with widearea networks results in minimal or no communication costs. Thebroadband infrastructure may be, for example, a cable or DSLinfrastructure.

The wireless interface function provided by the gateway located within ahome, for example, may be utilized to route or communicate a great dealof traffic to a wired network such as a broadband network or a wirelessnetwork such as a GSM or CDMA network via a broadband connection. Inother words, the wireless gateway infrastructure provided by arepresentative embodiment of the present invention provides a scalablenetwork infrastructure that rides on an existing access infrastructurealready supplied by a broadband service provider to a home, office orbusiness. Additionally, the scalable infrastructure provided by thegateway also solves the problems associated with signal penetration andpropagation, thereby providing improved quality of service (QoS). From amarket perspective, a wireless service provider may now have access tothe necessary infrastructure to provide improved wireless services tousers within a home or office. Accordingly, in order to rapidly increasetheir growth, wireless service providers may now target that portion ofthe in-home landline or plain old telephone system (POTS) business,which have traditionally been handled by incumbent local exchangecarriers (ILECs) or other LECs.

The unlicensed mobile access gateway described above may possess asignificant amount of processing power. The gateways of existing systemsfall short of realizing the full potential of the merged wired andwireless communication network that is enabled by a representativeembodiment of the present invention. Numerous basic and enhancedcommunication services may be enabled or provided by the gateway.Support for access devices such as, for example, mobile multimediahandsets and PDAs may be involved in order to utilize these basic andenhanced communication services enabled by the new wave of digitaltechnologies. Current and/or proposed mobile access gateway systems,however, do not provide the range of support needed for their use by theeveryday consumer.

Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software. The presentinvention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind ofcomputer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may be a general-purpose computer system with a computerprogram that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computersystem such that it carries out the methods described herein.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the presentcontext means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of aset of instructions intended to cause a system having an informationprocessing capability to perform a particular function either directlyor after either or both of the following: a) conversion to anotherlanguage, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different materialform.

While the present invention has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material tothe teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A method of handling multimedia information through multi-networksimulcasting, the method comprising: receiving multimedia informationdesignated for an access device, wherein the multimedia informationcomprises streaming media; determining whether the access device iscompatible with the multimedia information; and adapting non-compatiblemultimedia information to be compatible with the access device.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, comprising redirecting the multimedia information viaone or both of a personal area network and/or a broadband network, ifthe access device is not compatible with the multimedia information. 3.The method of claim 2, comprising storing the redirected multimediainformation.
 4. The method of claim 2, comprising notifying a user ofthe access device of the redirection of the multimedia information. 5.The method of claim 1, comprising forwarding the multimedia informationto the access device, if the access device is compatible, wherein saidforwarding occurs during an active call.
 6. The method according toclaim 1, comprising establishing a call between the access device andanother access device.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein theaccess device comprises one or more of: a mobile multimedia handset, apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a computerperipheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones,and/or a pointing device.
 8. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe receiving is performed using a wireless wide area network.
 9. Themethod according to claim 7, wherein the wireless wide area networkcomprises one or more of: a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network,a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a Global System for MobileCommunication (GSM) network, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)network, a short message service (SMS) network, a GSM enhanced datarates for global evolution (EDGE), a time division multiple access(TDMA) network, an integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), a codedivision multiple access (CDMA) network, and/or a CDMA2000 1xRTTnetwork.
 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multimediainformation also comprises one or more of: broadcast video, digitizedvoice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images,digitized video, and/or digitized music.
 11. A system supportinghandling multimedia information through multi-network simulcasting, thesystem comprising: an access device capable of communicating multimediainformation via a wireless wide area network communicatively coupled toa broadband network, wherein the multimedia information comprisesstreaming media; a gateway for communicatively coupling to the broadbandnetwork and at least one wireless interface, the gateway capable ofselectively exchanging multimedia information among at least onewireless interface and the broadband network, and of communicating withthe plurality of access devices via the at least one wireless interface;and the gateway capable of adapting non-compatible multimediainformation to be compatible with the access device based upon at leastone parameter.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless widearea network is configured to redirect multimedia information for one ofthe plurality of access devices based upon the at least one parameter.13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the redirected multimediainformation is stored within the gateway.
 14. The system according toclaim 12, wherein the wireless wide area network notifies the accessdevice of the redirection.
 15. The system according to claim 11,comprising the gateway capable of providing a catalog of storedmultimedia information.
 16. The system according to claim 11,comprising: the gateway capable of receiving a request for storedmultimedia information from the access device; and the gateway capableof sending the requested multimedia information to the access device.17. The system according to claim 11, wherein multimedia informationcomprises one or more of: broadcast video, digitized voice, digitaldata, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video,and/or digitized music.
 18. The system according to claim 11, whereinthe access device comprises one or more of: a mobile multimedia handset,a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a computerperipheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones,and/or a pointing device.
 19. The system according to claim 11, whereinthe at least one parameter comprises one or more of: a bit rate, abandwidth, a cost, a color resolution, a spatial resolution, amultimedia information size, and/or a multimedia information type.
 20. Amachine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer programhaving a plurality of code sections for operating a system supportinghandling multimedia information through multi-network simulcasting, thecode sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to performthe operations comprising: receiving multimedia information designatedfor an access device, wherein the multimedia information comprisesstreaming media; determining whether the access device is compatiblewith the multimedia information; and adapting non-compatible multimediainformation to be compatible with the access device.
 21. Themachine-readable storage according to claim 20, wherein the operationscomprise redirecting the multimedia information via one or both of: apersonal area network and/or a broadband network, if the access deviceis not compatible.
 22. The machine-readable storage according to claim20, wherein the operations comprise forwarding the multimediainformation to the access device, if the access device compatible. 23.The machine-readable storage according to claim 20, wherein theoperations comprise notifying a user of the access device of theredirection of the multimedia information.
 24. The machine-readablestorage according to claim 20 wherein the operations compriseestablishing a call between the access device and another access device.25. The machine-readable storage according to claim 20, wherein theaccess device comprises one or more of: a mobile multimedia handset, apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a computerperipheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones,and/or a pointing device.
 26. The machine-readable storage according toclaim 20, wherein the receiving is performed using a wireless wide areanetwork.
 27. The machine-readable storage according to claim 20, whereinthe multimedia information comprises one or more of: broadcast video,digitized voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized stillimages, digitized video, and/or digitized music.
 28. A system supportinghandling of multimedia information through multi-network simulcasting,the system comprising: a gateway for communicatively coupling to abroadband network and at least one wireless interface, the gatewaycapable of selectively exchanging multimedia information among at leastone wireless interface and the broadband network, and of communicatingwith an access device via the at least one wireless interface; and thegateway capable of adapting non-compatible multimedia information to becompatible with the access device based upon at least one parameter. 29.The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one parameter supportsredirection by a wireless wide area network of multimedia informationfor the access device.
 30. The system according to claim 29, wherein theredirected multimedia information is stored within the gateway.
 31. Thesystem according to claim 29, wherein the gateway is capable ofproviding a catalog of stored multimedia information.
 32. The systemaccording to claim 28, wherein the gateway is capable of receiving arequest for stored multimedia information from the access device, andwherein the gateway is capable of sending the requested multimediainformation to the access device.
 33. The system according to claim 29,wherein the wireless wide area network notifies the access device of theredirection.
 34. The system according to claim 28, wherein themultimedia information comprises one or more of: broadcast video,digitized voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized stillimages, digitized video, and/or digitized music.
 35. The systemaccording to claim 28, wherein the of access device comprises one of: amobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), apersonal computer (PC), a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, adigital camera, a printer, headphones, or a pointing device.
 36. Thesystem according to claim 28, wherein the at least one parametercomprises one or more of: a bit rate, a bandwidth, a cost, a colorresolution, a spatial resolution, a multimedia information size, and/ora multimedia information type.